DPM Heng Asks Voters To Give PM Wong A Strong Mandate Amid A Turbulent World

He backs 'excellent' East Coast team, describing it as a mix of old and new

- Ng Keng Gene and David Sun

Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on May 1 made a pitch to East Coast residents and Singaporeans to give Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a strong mandate, so that the country can ride out ongoing storms and emerge from them stronger.

Speaking to reporters after a walkabout in Bedok with the PAP's slate for East Coast GRC, DPM Heng said the world is going through big storms, and urged voters to strongly support the Government, as well as the party's East Coast team, which he is leaving.

"The tariff war, the trade war, the tech war, the strategic competition between the US and China will have very significant effects on all of us," he said.

"The tariff on our Asean neighbours is going to affect the entire supply chain, and (for) Singapore, even though the tariff on us is only 10 per cent, the knock-on effect is huge," DPM Heng added, referring to the Trump administration's tariff on imports from Singapore.

DPM Heng's comments echo recent appeals to voters by senior PAP leaders, who have said the ruling party is best placed to take Singapore through the economic uncertainties.

"I hope that Singapore stays as the oasis of stability, that we are trusted by countries all over the world, and that we can continue to develop the economy to create jobs for our people," he said.